528 AVES. 



XII. CiriKOHESc— Birds with long legs, naked above the kneo, with two 

 or tliree toes directed forwards. 



XIIL Grallatores.— Birds with long and'slender legs, more or less naked 

 above the knee ; three toes before and one behind ; the posterior one joined 

 on the same level with the others, or more elevated. 



XIV. PiNNATiPEDES.— Birds with feet of medium length ; tarsi slender, or 

 compressed ; three toes before and one behind, with a rudimentary mem- 

 brane alone the toes ; the posterior one joined interiorly on the tarsus. 



XV. Palmipedes Birds with short feet, more or less drawn up to the 



abdomen ; anterior toes partly or wholly connected by a membrane ; the 

 posterior toe articulated interiorly upon the tarsus, or totally wanting in 

 some genera. 



XVI. Inertes. — Birds with feet retracted into the abdomen ; three toes 

 divided before;; tlie posterior toe short, articulated interiorly. 



TERMINOLOGY OF BIRDS. 



It is impossible to understand the descriptions given by authors, so as to en- 

 able the student to trace with certainty various species, without being ac- 

 quainted ■vvith the technical names of the different parts of Birds. 



Witliin these few years a new nomenclature has been adopted, so that to 

 be an expert Ornithologist, a knowledge of the old as well as the new ter- 

 minology is indispensable. 



OLD TERMINOLOGY.— Plate XXV*. fig. 1, 



The Auriculars, or feathers which cover the ears, 1. 



The Crown, 2. 



The Nape, 3. 



Upper and under mandibles, or chaps, 4-4. 



Chin, 5. 



The interscapular region, 6. 



Tail converts ; these feathers cover the tail at its upper side or base, 7. 



Lesser Wing Coverts, 8-8-8-8, — (tectricea priitnF, Linnaus.) — these are 

 small feathers that lie in several rows on the bones of the wings. 



Greater JVitig Coverts, 9-9-9-9, — (tectrices secunda, Linn.) — the feathers that 

 lie immediately over the quill feathers and the secondaries. 



The Scapulars, 10-10-10, or those feathers which take their rise from the 

 shoulders and cover the sides of the back. 



The Secondaries, Il-ll-U-U, or secondary quiUs,—rs«eoradar!<», Linn.) — 

 those that rise from the second bone. 



The Tertials, 12-12-12-12-12. — These also take their rise from the second 

 bone at the elbow joint, forming a continuation of the secondaries, and 

 seem to do the same witli the scapulars which lie over them. These 

 feathers are so long in some species of the Scolopax and Tringa, that 

 when the bird is flying, they give it the appearance of having four 

 wings, as in the figure we have given. In nearly all other species they 

 are but a little longer than the Secondaries. 



The Primaries or Primary Quills, 13-13-13-13-13,— Cpnmorej, Lmra.;— the 

 largest feathers of the wing ; they rise from the first bone. 



The Shoulder, 14-14. 



